Gospel Confidence
Guy Mason on gospel confidence:
Gospel confidence is the living and certain trust that Jesus’ gospel is powerful to save. This is sharply distinct from self-confidence, which looks in the mirror and says, “I can do it.” Such an attitude leads to either pride at one’s “achievements,” or despair when difficulty comes. In contrast, gospel confidence finds courage not by looking to culture or to self, but to God.
Gospel confidence—God has been growing me a great deal in this area over the past several months. For me, self–confidence tends to lead to insecurity. You see, I’m keenly aware of my inability to achieve God’s purposes on my own. This is especially true in the context of leadership. Insecurity, then, gives birth to all kinds of ugliness: posturing, false humility, defensiveness, and perfectionism to name just a few.
Thankfully, I don’t have to be self–confident, reliant upon my own talents and abilities. Rather, I must simply lead with confidence rooted in the great I AM and his ability to achieve his purposes.
Mason ends his post in this way:
God is lifting our eyes to him. He is giving each one of us a big vision, which requires complete dependence, for when God is required for all we do, he is guaranteed to get all the glory.
All the glory, indeed.
Link List for May 24, 2013
Echoes of Eden: Reflections on Christianity, Literature, and the Arts (eBook) | Ebooks | Crossway
The digital version of Jerram Barrs’ new book, released this month, is on sale for just $2.00. Through Crossway only.
#055: How to Read a Non-Fiction Book [Podcast] | Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt offers ten great tips for reading non–fiction books quickly. For example, don’t feel like you need to finish every book you start. Some books, Hyatt argues, simply aren’t worth finishing. Good advice from someone who spent years working in the publishing industry.
Leadership from the Heart - Posts - “Twenty Points On Leading Twentysomethings.”
Twenty takeaways from Brad Lomenick’s new book, The Catalyst Leader, for those who lead and work with twentysomethings. I haven’t yet read The Catalyst Leader, but it’s on my list.
5 Reasons I Switched to Scrivener for All My Writing | Michael Hyatt
More from Michael Hyatt. In this blog post he explains how he uses Scrivener, a powerful writing tool for the Mac.
Link List for May 23, 2013
Evernote Blog | Evernote Reminders Are Here on Mac, iOS and Web
Evernote rolled out some new features today. You can now set date and time–based reminders for individual notes in addition to creating note–based to–do lists.
Stairways Software releases Keyboard Maestro 6.0
Version 6.0 of Keyboard Maestro was released yesterday, including a long list of improvements and new features. Keyboard Maestro is definitely one of the most underutilized apps on my machine.
Put Your Mac to Sleep with iOS Drafts — MacSparky
This clever little trick allows you to put your Mac to sleep remotely using your iOS device.
Essential OmniFocus Scripts and Workflows
A running list of tips, scripts, and workflows for OmniFocus.
The Inigo Montoya Guide to 27 Commonly Misused Words | Copyblogger
This post will literally help you improve your grammar.
Church Planting and Preparing for Reproduction
Scott Thomas outlines five reasons for planting churches in a recent post at ChurchPlanting.com. Among them, he discusses the importance of reproduction for the local church:
Aubrey Malphurs believes that the secret to a vibrant Christianity is a pregnant church, culminating in reproduction. He emphasized the importance of a sending church preparing itself for reproduction (Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting, Malphurs, 2011). As a church is developing leaders, clarifying vision, sending people and resources, articulating doctrines and strategizing for mission, it will have a spiritual vibrancy accompanying these pre-birth activities.
Thomas summarizes this way:
A church on mission prioritizes its sending capacity over its seating capacity. This reproductive generosity brings health to the mother church as well as to the baby churches.
Something that Todd Bumgarner said from the very beginning is that 2 Pillars is going to be a church that plants churches. Just like a engaged couple discussing future family plans and their desire for children, reproduction was part of the vision of 2 Pillars before it was even planted.
The prayer now is that God would bless our plans and preparation and continue to grow 2 Pillars in size and maturity in order that we might give birth to another church to be planted in the city of Lincoln.
Why plant more churches in Lincoln? Check out the entire post here.
Attention, Learning, and What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains
“The best thing we can do for our minds is to find some time every day to unplug, calm down, and focus on one thing at a time. Your email and those cats will be here when you get back.”
The Discipline of Habit
The late Donald Murray, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, on the habit of writing:
I do not wake singing, ‘To writing, to writing, I will go.’ I drag my rump to the desk by habit. Most of the time I like being there, but I never like going there.[ref]Murray, Donald. Writing for Your Readers: Notes on the Writer’s Craft from The Boston Globe. Old Saybrook, CT: The Globe Pequot Press, 1992.[/ref]